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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-23 Daily Xml
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EDUCATION (CLOSURE AND AMALGAMATION OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 9 November 2011.)

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:57): I understand that all contributions have now been made, so I would like to thank those members who contributed. As we were waiting on an amendment which had yet to be drafted on the last Wednesday of sitting, this has been a debate that has been extended, so I will give members a moment to bring themselves up to speed. As many members would be aware, from their local school communities who are currently facing forced amalgamations, against the will of those school communities, this is in fact a pressing issue for those particular schools. I would like to thank those members who have indicated both support and opposition for taking an interest in the plight of those schools. What I hope is that this bill ensures that the minister will, similarly, take an interest in the plight and opinions of those schools.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

Clause 1.

The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON: I rise to indicate that I support this bill introduced by the Hon. Tammy Franks. As the honourable member detailed, the bill seeks to make the decision to close or amalgamate a government school the subject of a parliamentary resolution in addition to and rather than a ministerial decision.

Currently, in deciding whether to close or amalgamate a public school, the minister must initiate a review by a committee consisting of education department representatives, a union representative and principals of the affected schools, amongst others. That review must focus on the viability and necessity of all the schools in the affected area and on the educational, social and economic needs of the local community and the state more broadly. Upon receiving that report, and regardless of its recommendations, the minister may then determine whether to close or amalgamate the government school concerned.

How the decision to close or amalgamate a government school should occur, and by whom, is the subject of a ream of Hansard. This existing review process is the result of numerous amendments over the years that have sought to provide greater transparency and accountability to what is often a highly contentious and divisive decision. The bill will finally move the responsibility for the closure or amalgamation to this parliament, where I believe it ultimately should be.

The education minister is currently accountable in a tokenistic way to the parliament in the sense that the minister must, within three sitting days of giving notice of a decision to close or amalgamate a school, table a copy of the review committee's report and an explanation of the minister's decision in both houses of parliament. Whilst this exposes the minister's decision to public scrutiny, particularly if the report did not recommend closure or amalgamation, it nonetheless comes too late for the schools concerned.

The bill also creates a new pathway to closure or amalgamation of a government school without going through the current review process of a majority of parents or, if it is an adult school, a majority of students agree with the proposed closure. While this will not occur often where there is community support, I believe it to be a sensible approach.

The bill is timely, given the government's intention to amalgamate a significant number of junior primary and primary schools, each of which is currently undergoing the review process outlined. This is being driven by budgetary considerations, not educational outcomes, an entirely unacceptable reason. Although I very much doubt the bill will pass today, I nonetheless hope it does before these amalgamations come to be.

Clause passed.

Clauses 2 to 4 passed.

Clause 5.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I move:

Page 3, after line 15 [clause 5, inserted section 14G]—After its present contents (now to be designated as subsection (1)) insert:

(2) This section expires on 30 June 2013.

The shadow minister, the member for Unley, has publicly explained the background to this particular amendment but, on his behalf, I read his statement to the committee this afternoon as follows:

It has become apparent that the government's decision to forcibly amalgamate junior primary and primary schools is fundamentally about cost cutting in education services, not improved education outcomes. For individual schools these cuts will equate to approximately $250,000 per year as well as the loss of senior leadership staff and SSO support. Their decision of course flows from recommendations made by the Sustainable Budget Commission to amalgamate 67 co-located schools and announced in the 2010 budget.

Through the efforts of local school communities and with support from the Liberal opposition Labor plans to forcibly amalgamate primary and high schools without the offer of a proper review process—in effect creating R-12 super schools—was prevented, the then Minister for Education, now Premier Jay Weatherill stating in the parliament that:

The truth is that the high school amalgamations do not actually provide much by way of savings in relation to the amalgamation process. What I have said to those schools...is that we will not be forcing them to amalgamate. (Hansard, 23/02/2011)

As the new and former education ministers have refused to give similar assurances that the results of the review process (a review process costing over $370,000) and wishes of school communities will be respected this amendment will serve to hold the government accountable with regard to the current round of amalgamations.

The shadow minister has advised that the Liberal Party did support the second reading and that if this amendment were successful it would support the third reading of the bill. If the amendment is unsuccessful, the Liberal Party will not support the third reading of the bill.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I rise to indicate that the Greens will support this amendment. While it is disappointing that it grandfathers the bill to 30 June 2013, we believe that this particular situation warrants the bill being made into an act and so are happy to accept that grandfathering. We would hope that it also serves as a cautionary tale for any government not to make similar decisions about closures and amalgamations of schools not on educational grounds in the future.

Amendment carried; clause as amended passed.

Title passed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (17:08): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.

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